Connection Through the Dark
by xTsukiakari
Summary: Robin. She was quiet. That alone set her apart from anyone else on this crew. Smart. Mysterious. She was easy on the eyes... Yeah, easy on the eyes, but that wasn't it. There was something about Robin that Sanji...wanted to know. [Rated T for mild language, this is a pretty tame fic, no smut this time!]


**A/N**: This is yet another RP log turned fanfic. Basically all Sanji's parts (save for the very end and like a few words here and there in the middle bits) are courtesy of my Roberto (wherever he is!) I just wanted to get this stuff out there because it's just been collecting dust on my computer!

* * *

Cigarettes.

That's all Sanji could think about the next morning when he opened his eyes this beautiful, fine morning. He didn't have to shuffle up to the deck to know that the sun was shining outside. Nami was humming up there and he could hear. She was in a good mood with the weather. Zoro groaned across the room in his sleep and Sanji rolled his eyes as he tossed his legs over the side of his hammock. He craned his neck forward and rubbed his forehead gently.

Cigarettes.

Right. He'd bet the swordsman he could go a day without smoking a single one, and to be honest, he underestimated how hard this would be. His pack was sitting in the kitchen, untouched, unopened. And the sun was just calling his name. He pushed himself up, brushed his teeth and combed his hair, and hopped the steps by two's to get to the kitchen. Zoro was still asleep. He could still sneak a quick puff or two or three before that lazy mumble grumble block head would even realize it.

"Morning, Nami-swan!" he called, giving her a nod and flashing his 'I'm-On-My-Best-Behavior' smile. That usually won her over, especially on a day like this. "How's toast and fried eggs?" He grinned as she went on about the weather and then he ducked inside, hands in his pockets and his spirits in high hopes.

Cigarettes.

And there they were, sitting, waiting and calling for him. "Ah," he crept up on them like a predator, and glanced back at the kitchen door before he gently unwrapped them, like a gift he sorely wanted. His hands were shaking in anticipation.

_Who reeled me in on this shit?_

He already knew.

_Nice..._

Elsewhere on the Going Merry, Robin awoke in a cold sweat.

Granted, she should have been used to it by now, but it was still rather unsettling every time it happened. She sat in her bed, completely upright and alert, staggered breaths, unsteady hands, the throbbing in her head that refused to cease...

The dream. The dream was always the same. All the faces returned... the familiar settings, all the people she knew and loved, all there... and then...

The fire. There was so much fire...

She was impervious to it, it didn't affect her, she could only feel it's warmth as if from afar. Though she was paralyzed. Frozen in time as she watched on in horror.

The burning... The screams...

Why not her, too? Why was she forced to look on, unharmed? Why couldn't she be with them? She would rather be eaten alive by the flames than have to stand there watching, unscathed.

She shook her head, as well as various other limbs, attempting to rid herself of the images as she dressed herself. As was customary when these dreams occurred, no matter what time it may have been, she had to have coffee. Anything, _anything_ to stop the pulsing in her head... She took a deep breath before stepping outside, secretly hoping it was early enough to avoid a horde of people parading though the kitchen. Not to say that she didn't enjoy the company of her crew mates, she honestly did, but at times... at times she just needed to enjoy a cup of coffee without a food fight brewing in the background.

And so, with a polite (though faux) smile and greeting to her Navigator (the only one on board awake, as far as she could tell), Robin sighed as she pushed the kitchen door open.

"It's not ready yet, Nami-swan," Sanji said before he brought his cigarette to his lips, "I haven't even gotten started on-" He stopped mid-sentence, realizing it wasn't the navigator like he'd expected, but Robin. And this was a pleasant surprise. "Ah," he set his cigarette gingerly in his ashtray and went to the counter, immediately pouring her a cup of coffee without any hesitation. He knew how she liked it. "I didn't know you were awake, Robin-chwan," he said, pulling a seat out for her. She looked tired, as tired as he felt, and while he normally turned the theatrics on for his female crew mates, he simply sat himself down across the table and smiled gently at her. He stabbed his cigarette out and straightened his tie. "Did you sleep well?"

She smiled as she mentally kicked herself. Of course the kitchen wasn't going to be empty, what had she been thinking? Had her mind been less... scattered she would have estimated the state and location of each crew member with alarming accuracy before even leaving her quarters. Such was Robin, ever ready, ever expecting, ever prepared, ever so precise.

Not that she was complaining. No, not at all. Sanji was just about the only surprise that Robin actually didn't mind all too much.

Sullen eyed and tired though she was, she did her best to hide it, as with everything else, and her trademark smile returned. "Oh, this for me is late. I usually wake up long before you ever get started on breakfast, Cook-san," she replied, taking a seat in front of him."I apologize for looking exceptionally haggard this morning, those late night reading sessions are beginning to catch up with me," she added with a light inward sigh and smile, hoping that was convincing enough for him not to press the matter. "And yourself?"

"Pretty well~! As well as one _can_ sleep with that shitty swordsman snoring, that is." Sanji was relaxed for the first time in days. He'd been on edge all day yesterday, chasing the swordsman around and threatening to beat him an inch to death. On top of that, there was the fact that he was missing out on his usual nicotine fix, and his hands were trembling lightly. He brought his hand up to cup his face and took a drink of his own coffee with the other. "If there's anything I can do for you, Robin-chwan, let me know."

Of course, like everything else crafted from his hands, the coffee was exquisite, bold, yet not over-powering. Rather like how Sanji was whenever they sat alone together just like this.

_Anything..._ she thought briefly to herself. People often offered her help, though Sanji was one of the few she knew who would actually fulfill their words, not just say them as a polite gesture.

It was the closest thing she had to trust.

"I'll be just fine, thank you, though," she replied, tracing the rim of her cup with a single finger. That was her answer, to just about everything. She'd be fine. Just fine. Always only just fine... She couldn't remember being anything more, though she could certainly remember being much, much less. And that... that was part of the problem, she supposed.

He offered her a smile, "Nami says we could dock as soon as tonight, the weather's permitting us to move so smoothly." Sanji was about to suggest Robin take the opportunity to sunbathe in her two piece (the red one, in particular), but he thought twice, opting to shut his mouth and let it be. Those were words he normally saved for Nami. She liked hearing things like that, and certainly enjoyed being adored to an extent. After all, she was a young girl, and in Sanji's experience, they were all most like that.

But Robin was an older woman. Sanji wasn't quite sure how to approach her just yet. He simply chose to go about Robin the same way he went about fawning over Nami. It seemed to work out, but this was rare. It was rare to have Robin in the kitchen with him, alone, enjoying a cup of coffee and having a conversation like this. Sanji didn't want to screw this up, and the more he thought about it, he didn't want Robin to think he was some kind of skirt chasing pervert.

Well, he _was,_ to an extent, but Robin was different. His nakama. He liked to think he had more respect for his nakama.

Most importantly, though, Sanji didn't want to explain to Robin how he knew about the two piece red bathing suit she kept in the chest at the foot of her bed. Really, he'd just happened to see it once when he poked his head in her room to see if she was there.

She was still smiling as she brought her coffee to her lips- black, two sugars, just how she liked it. It still somehow amazed her how closely he paid attention to detail, especially when it came to cooking, and especially considering how he always seemed to have his mind on particular members of the opposite sex. "Docking, huh? It's been ages since the last time... did she mention where?" Robin was actually hoping she would recognize the place so that she could raid the resident bookstore. Well, maybe not quite raid as much as she would sit there for hours on end and read anything and everything she could get her hands on before they had to leave again.

"No," Sanji said, frowning lightly. He considered for a moment, and took his pack of smokes out again. "You don't mind?" Well, he always smoked in front of Nami and Robin, but for some reason, he felt at ease at least asking this one time. He flipped the vent switch over the oven, pulled his seat back a bit more, and lit another one up. He was careful to blow the smoke away from her. "I can't go a day without these," Sanji said, picking up his pack and regarding it thoughtfully.

"Of course not," she replied. While it was true he always smoked in front of her, she appreciated the gesture of asking regardless. Of course, she was fully aware of his habit, as well as how often he smoked. It never really bothered her, to each his own, she always said.

He flashed a smile at her as he quickly tucked them away. "Oh well," he said, "I bet this place has some good sunshine. It'll be nice again to relax a bit. That is," Sanji added carefully, "if our captain doesn't manage to find us some trouble to dive into."

"Oh, I can't even remember the last time I actually relaxed," she added, laughing to herself. It almost felt strange even saying the _word_ relax, especially considering her sleep patterns as of late... "But yes, it will be a nice change of pace... hopefully Luffy will keep his antics to a minimum, but I think we both know that's a bit of a stretch, hm?"

She smiled softly before taking another sip of her coffee, the prospect of getting her mind off of... well, the goddamn circus from hell that seemed to be going on in there lately, to be able to think about something, anything else, was a welcome thought, to say the very least.

Sanji shrugged. "You ever notice that Luffy generally ends up starting the shit we get into? Some sorta hero complex, I guess..." He trailed off, his eyes lax, watching the smoke trail from the tip of his cigarette. Then again, he thought, he shouldn't be one to talk. Wasn't he really into rescuing women?

Well, it complimented his desired image.

"I guess we all have that quirk in us," he added thoughtfully.

Her smile grew a little bigger as she nodded in agreement. "He's in a league of his own, that one." She was reasonably sure that they could sit in that kitchen all day and night in an effort to figure out Luffy's difficult and elusive mind, and still not come anywhere close. Though it was true; every person on that ship had a bit of a hero complex somewhere in them, though Robin always felt she _had_ to have it, if only because she never wanted to be the one who needed saving.

The silence passed between them and Sanji didn't mind it. He watched her drink her coffee, pleased that she seemed to like his cooking. "Hey," he said, leaning forward a bit, "You wouldn't be interested in coming with me to pick up some food at the marketplace, would you? Tomorrow morning, if we're there?"

"Tomorrow morning...?" she repeated back to him, less for clarification and more because the offer had rather surprised her. "Oh, I'm sure you don't want me going, I'll be more or less in the way," she added hastily, laughing as she shook her head. "I probably I wouldn't be much help, in any case..." If there was one thing Robin was known for, it was making up excuses to avoid certain situations. Not that she didn't want to go, she actually really did. It was just... she never did well in these types of situations, and she wasn't entirely sure if that would ever change.

The frown on his face was puppy-like. His lower lips pouted out, and he sighed before he took another slow drag on his cigarette. "Oh, Robin-chwan," he said sadly, "What wouldn't I give just to have some extra time to look at your lovely face..." Sanji played on his usual dramatics, but flashed a smile quickly after and touched her hand. Only briefly. It was there and gone, just a fleeting moment. He suddenly felt nervous, but he kept it well hidden behind his usual confident smile. "I'd just like your company, that's all," he said, leaning his face in his hand. "I'm not asking you to make dinner, or anything like that, but..." he sighed once more, looking longingly away. "If you're busy, I certainly understand."

He'd meant for her to see through that little window he usually didn't allow. The one that showed that sometimes, his theatrics were really just for show, but at the same time-Sanji really did care.

Robin was quiet most of the time. Buried in a book, or in her room. The only time he heard her spoke, he sincerely listened. Just to know her, understand her a bit more. He thought maybe, just maybe, it would be a good opportunity.

_That face,_ she thought.

That face was always the perfect balance of innocence and playfulness. Just enough to pull at her heartstrings, yet not so much so that she'd feel _too_ guilty.

It worked every time.

The dramatics that followed were, of course, expected, however, Robin - noticer of all details, minuscule or otherwise - would never have anticipated that tiny... (dare she say personal?) moment, just after. Her eyes, once downward cast, apologetic, immediately shot up at him. And for just... just a second - no, less than that, she could swear she saw something... no, some_one_...

But then it passed. As quickly as it came it was gone and Robin was left almost wondering if it had even happened at all.

"Busy? Oh, really, of course not, I honestly haven't had much to do lately, I -" she paused for a moment, biting her lip as she inwardly sighed. "I'm sorry, Cook-san I didn't mean to offend you at all, I would love to accompany you tomorrow morning. Conditions permitting, of course," she said finally with a warm smile. _Well, that wasn't so hard now, was it?_ she thought to herself. And really, it hadn't been. Maybe it was about time she began trusting her crewmates. Real trust, not just the false nonsense she had been putting on since she first arrived.

Sanji lit up, all easy-going smiles. "Well, then," he said, straightening up. "It's a date."

He chatted with her lightly, offered to get her something to drink and when she declined, he brought her one of his specialty drinks nonetheless. "It's hot out today, this will hydrate you, Robin-swan," he said, pleased with himself.

As he headed back toward his quarters to change his clothes, he took a moment to reflect on Nico Robin. He took his cigarettes out of his pocket and tossed them to his hammock, easing the jacket off with a shrug.

Robin. She was quiet. That alone set her apart from anyone else on this crew. Smart. Mysterious. She was easy on the eyes. Sanji kicked his shoes off. Yeah, easy on the eyes, but that wasn't it. There was something about Robin that Sanji...wanted to know.

_Wanted._

He unbuttoned his vest and slide it off. "Oi!" he called up the hatch, "Shower's mine for the next ten minutes!"

* * *

Hotcakes, hash browns, eggs (sunny side up) and t-bone steak. Along with some arguing here and there. "Shut up, marimo! If you don't like the cook, you don't eat his food, got it?!"

The usual morning ritual went on without anything off-par, and Sanji found himself more relieved than usual when he got to cleaning off the last dish. He changed his tie (egg yolk was running down the middle-a souvenir from Zoro, whom Sanji happily banned from the table) and smoothed his hair. And he headed out of the kitchen, for Robin's room.

"Robin-swan?" he called, knocked, and waited.

Robin hadn't woken up quite as early that morning, and as she stood in the shower, looking up at the ceiling, steaming hot water thoroughly dousing her, she wondered why. Strange though it undoubtedly seemed, Robin would often would stand still in the shower, stare, and think. She found it was actually one of the best opportunities to do so: It was private, minimal, _minimal_ chances of anyone barging in, quiet except for sounds of rushing water, and needless to say the water relaxed her.

So there she stood. Thinking

Why do people sleep in? Well, because they... sleep better. She had slept better? ...Why?

She stepped out of the shower, toweled herself off, and made the short walk back to her quarters.

The dream. That dream she always had. It was... almost the same... but something was different...

Why?

There had to be answers. In Robin's world, there was always an answer, for everything

_Bra... panties... dress... boots... hair..._

She had been giving her hair a final comb-through when she heard the knock at the door, and she made doubly sure everything was in order before opening it. "Good morning," she said, polite smile, delicate posture, as always.

He offered her his arm and a smile. "Shall we, Robin-swan?"

* * *

Theatrics aside for the day, Sanji was happy to simply spend his morning off of the ship and away from the ticks that crawled his skin (Zoro came to mind). Something was bothering him, though. With his groceries swung over his shoulder and Robin at his side, Sanji thought back to Nami this morning over breakfast. She said the weather wasn't going to be bright today. That didn't dampen Sanji's spirits. He figured he'd spend time with Robin early before the clouds settled. But the smell of rain was in the air, and Sanji simply didn't like that inconvenience. There was a low rumble, and Sanji's frown deepened. "Robin-chwan," he nodded toward an awning. "Let's take a moment. I have a bad feeling."

_Well, at least it was fun while it lasted._ And it was, the more Sanji thought about it. She was a great conversationalist and a wonderful partner (some people) and, once again, easy on the eyes. He lit up a cigarette and flicked his match out on the street just as the rain started to fall.

Sanji suddenly lit up with an idea. Well, this was a good a chance as any to really get to know Robin, wasn't it? Sure, the small talk and chatter was nice. But to really learn about Robin - her feelings, her thoughts, ideas and opinions. Maybe that was the mystery about her Sanji wanted

_needed_

to know.

"I got an idea, Robin-chwan," Sanji said, flashing her a smile. "What do you say you and I play hooky today?"

When Robin left with Sanji that morning, she wasn't entirely sure _what_ to expect, in all honesty. She was just the tiniest bit apprehensive, not because of him, but herself. One of the main reasons Robin was always so... calculatory, was because she felt if she wasn't, she would inevitably ruin something, and that day would be no different.

Or so she thought.

Sure, as the day started she was your everyday over-thinker Nico Robin, but the longer they were out, the small, polite smile she always wore got a little bigger, and she made attempts (none of which were successful, but attempts all the same) to not... well, think so much.

Seemingly nothing to most, but to Robin, definitely something.

It was nice to just... talk about things. Little things. Things that didn't matter, but you would still remember them weeks later. Things Robin never got a chance to talk about because she wasn't entirely sure how to start. Sanji was a natural social butterfly. Robin... not so much. Still, once you got the ball rolling, Robin was always right there, at the end of every sentence, ready to contribute.

When the rain started it didn't exactly bother her, Robin actually quite liked the rain, especially when it was warm like it had been that morning.

She bit her lip at his suggestion briefly before starting to speak. "You mean have all the others wondering where we are and perhaps frantically searching for us all day? And Luffy possibly starving to death because no one is there to cook his lunch?" The corner of her lips curled into a smile. "Yes, let's."

Sanji considered his strategy, almost certain Robin would turn him down, but... surprise, she was smiling and agreeing. He could barely believe it. "Ah, Robin-chwan," he said, grinning as he offered her his arm, "Let's make sure they don't find us." He'd like to see how the crew got along without them. Maybe Zoro would learn to appreciate his cooking.

Sanji ducked his head as they ran through the rain, down the dirt road and toward the outskirts of town. He was laughing, even if his suit was soaked and his hair was clumpy and wet. This was what he liked most about being a pirate. The only worry he could ever have were marines, and without a base on site, all there was now were rain clouds and Robin. He led her to an old, empty building and pushed open the heavy wooden door and they went inside, Sanji still grinning. "Well," he said, twisting his tie of the water, "This is turning into a vacation, Robin-chwan. No fights Luffy's picked, no whining, fighting or swordsmen." He laughed, "I have to say, this was the best day so far..."

Robin completely understood the look of genuine surprise Sanji wore once she agreed. Honestly, she could hardly believe what she was saying herself. As she took his arm she idly wondered what could have caused such an outburst. Was it that part of her that was going to enjoy the near-panic of the situation back on the ship, as only Robin could? Sure. Was there something else, though? Something different?

Probably.

Nonetheless she didn't really have time to dwell on it as there were really too many things going on at once. The rain was getting heavier with every step they took, it seemed, and Sanji was... well, he was fast, and Robin was wearing boots. With heels on them. Though Robin, seemingly instinctively, made even the most arduous of tasks look effortless.

...Including (apparently) trudging through mud and rain in heeled boots.

By the time they reached someplace dry, the trek getting there was pretty much a blur of houses and people and tress and rain to her. "You know, this is probably the closest thing to a vacation we'll ever get," she replied, pulling the wet strands of hair away from her face. She then took a quick look around the building surrounding her. "... Where exactly have you led us, Cook-san?"

Sanji peered curiously at the wooded walls, packing his cigarettes all the while. He slipped one into the corner of his mouth, ignoring his soaking jacket. "Huh, looks like an old barn house, Robin-chwan," he said, smelling hay. Damn hay. The dirt road they followed led them to the outskirts of the village and brought them here, their current shelter from the rain. It was dusty, dark, and with every flash of lightning, Sanji could see clearly that this place had been abandoned for a few months, give or take. "No one's here," he said, lighting up his cigarette and puffing down on it eagerly.

Absently, he touched the back of her hand, slipped his fingers over hers, and let go. It was a brief connection through the dark. He wondered if it left tingles on her hand, like it had for him.

Brief though that small moment was, Robin experienced it all in slow, excruciating detail, from the moment his very fingertips grazed those invisible hairs on her hand, and every small moment after, as if it were frame by frame. She made sure to keep her hand perfectly still throughout, not let any sort of emotion slip through her face or body language, and she succeeded, right up until the moment his fingers left hers.

For the smallest fraction of a second in the dark, her slender fingers reached out before recoiling again, balled into fists, walls of protection.

He set down the bags of supplies they purchased in their day of shopping. "I guess we're stuck here until the rain lets up," Sanji announced, plopping himself into a pile of hay in defeat.

"Yes, it would seem so."

He looked up at her shadowy figure, still beautiful, even though it was shrouded in darkness. A silence passed as he watched her peer at the storm outside, taking a drag from his cigarette every now and then. "Robin-chwan…" one more drag, "… come sit with me, won't you?" He flashed her a smile, patting a space in the hay next to his, overjoyed when she smiled and said 'of course, Cook-san' and fell delicately next to him. Beyond euphoric when, after many long conversations, her eyes grew heavy and she rested her head on his chest in her sleep, clearly exhausted and emotionally drained from those nightmares she finally confessed to having.

The storm came and went, and Robin slept soundly that day.

Sanji had committed himself to staying awake so he could watch over her, but the task became increasingly more difficult as time went on, as he could feel the slow and steady, up-and-down rhythm in her chest, and hear the soft sounds of her peaceful breathing just below his chin, and it wasn't too long before his eyes began to feel heavy, as well…

Robin.

She was quiet. Smart. Mysterious. Easy on the eyes, _but that wasn't it_. There was something about Robin that Sanji...wanted to know.

_Needed_ to know, in that old barn, in the darkness and hay, the rain and thunder and lighting.


End file.
